The present invention relates in general to the sizing of pistols relative to the ammunition to be fired and the fit and feel of the pistol for the shooter (i.e., end user). More specifically, the present invention relates to the resizing of the platform for a .45 ACP pistol, such as a Model 1911 pistol, to accept shorter ammunition, such as 9 mm, .357 Sig, 40 S & W, and the newer .45 GAP (Glock® Automatic Pistol) cartridge, to name a few. As described in the published article entitled “Shrinking The GAP” found in the May 2005 issue of American Rifleman, Glock developed the .45 GAP cartridge with the intent to create a pistol the size of a high-capacity 9 mm or .40 S & W with the performance of a .45 ACP. The .45 GAP cartridge is a rimless round that propels .45-cal. bullets ranging in weight from 185 to 230 grams. Those bullets are driven at the same velocities as the .45 ACP rounds.
The present invention is directed to resizing (conversion) of the platform for a .45 ACP pistol, such as an M-1911 platform. The objective is to convert the .45 ACP platform such that it is designed specifically for the smaller (shorter) “family” of ammunition that includes, as some of the possibilities, 9 mm, .357 Sig, .40 S & W, and .45 GAP cartridges, with consideration given to the needs of the shooter. Due to the attention being given to the newer .45 GAP cartridge, that style of ammo is selected for the description of the preferred embodiment of this invention. The M-1911 pistol is selected as the style of .45 ACP pistol to explain the present invention. However, the same types of design changes and modifications described for a current M-1911 pistol can be made, according to this invention, to other .45 ACP pistols. These design changes and modifications are also suitable for the other (shorter) cartridges that are defined herein as being a part of this shorter “family”. Considering the change in cartridge size (length) between a .45 ACP cartridge and these shorter cartridges, dimensional changes to the M-1911 pistol (or another .45 ACP pistol) have to be considered.
As the referenced magazine article describes, it would have been an option, in lieu of the present invention, to select a regular Model 1911-style pistol and use a blocked magazine to accommodate the shorter .45 GAP cartridge. However, this would have accomplished nothing in terms of overall pistol improvements for the shooters. Arguably, there is no reason for the .45 GAP cartridge to have been developed except to be able to provide .45 ACP performance in a small-frame pistol. The aforementioned article continues to explain that many shooters do not have hands big enough to handle double-wide magazine .45 pistols, and a lesser number cannot easily manage a single-column pistol in the classic M-1911 configuration. A pistol “properly” scaled for the .45 GAP cartridge length puts .45 power in the hands of shooters who otherwise might not have it. Similar sizing benefits are provided for the other ammo in this shorter cartridge family, according to the present invention.
The challenge is how to properly scale (downsize) a current or classic .45 ACP pistol, such as the referenced M-1911 pistol. Questions such as what dimensions should be reduced and how much of a size reduction is appropriate need to be considered. These questions and the related design challenges are addressed by the present invention. Once the appropriate size reductions for the .45 GAP cartridge, and for other cartridges that would be part of this (shorter) family, are determined, the next question is what dimension should be used and where in the component parts of the M-1911 pistol should the dimensional reductions occur. A further consideration, and something addressed by the present invention, is whether certain design efficiencies can result from the downsizing. One example of a contemplated design efficiency is whether a single receiver can be designed in a manner that would accept a plurality of different cartridge sizes, even if other parts, such as the barrel, have to be uniquely sized to the specific (single) cartridge.
The present invention addresses these issues and questions in a novel and unobvious manner. The resultant pistol, according to the present invention, is smaller and fits the hand of the shooter a little better. The size reduction involves a dimensional downsizing of approximately one-eighth of an inch. Everything normally found on the rear of the pistol is moved approximately one-eighth of an inch forward. This affects the main spring housing, grip, safety, and hammer. In effect, the differences in overall length between the .45 ACP cartridge and the shorter cartridges are calculated and a compromise dimension is selected, roughly midway between the range of cartridge length differences for the family of cartridges to be covered. The frame, slide, and magazine are shortened by approximately that compromise dimensional amount, approximately one-eighth of an inch. The magazine well has a fore and aft dimension that becomes shorter by about the same measurement in order to accept the different (smaller) magazine that takes the shorter cartridges, including the .45 GAP cartridge.
The aforementioned article describes the pistol embodiment disclosed herein as being similar to taking a slice down through a .45 ACP pistol and then putting the two pieces back together. One key though is where to take out the material and how to gain other benefits or improvements in the process of downsizing or scaling down the former M-1911 pistol for shorter cartridges, such as the .45 GAP cartridge. The present invention includes a unique and unobvious material removal decision that results in an improvement in terms of overall pistol performance. In terms of describing the present invention, the references to a “shorter” cartridge are intended to cover any cartridge that is shorter in length than the .45 ACP cartridge that is the designated cartridge for the .45 ACP pistol, such as the predecessor M-1911 pistol. Some of the “shorter” cartridges that satisfy this definition include 9 mm, .357 Sig, .40 S & W, and .45 GAP. This listing of shorter cartridges is not intended to preclude the applicability of the present invention to any cartridge whose length is less than a .45 ACP cartridge. Another aspect of the present invention is whether a compromise dimension is available that would downsize the M-1911 in a way that would permit the same receiver to handle different magazines for different cartridges in this “shorter” family. A still further aspect of the present invention is where or how to take up the dimensional reduction in the spacing between the fore and aft walls of the magazine well. Ideally, as the distance of separation between the walls of the magazine well is reduced, any dimensional changes to other parts should be made in a manner that will affect the fewest number of other parts.